


Intermezzo with Caffeine

by flaming_muse



Category: Glee
Genre: Episode Related, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-05-04
Updated: 2011-05-04
Packaged: 2017-10-19 00:21:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,277
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/194840
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/flaming_muse/pseuds/flaming_muse
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Texts fly.  Coffee ensues.</p><p>Missing scenes for 2x19 "Rumors"</p>
            </blockquote>





	Intermezzo with Caffeine

Kurt’s phone vibrated in his bag as he sat in study hall, bored and deliberately _not_ doing his math homework for fear of nodding off over his problem sets and drooling on his papers like Azimio was doing across the room, and he smiled to himself when he saw Blaine’s face on the message screen.

 _*Coffee this afternoon?*_ the text said.

Kurt thought about their respective calendars and typed back beneath the desk, _*Don’t you have Warblers rehearsal?*_

 _*Skipping. I want to see you.*_

While Kurt’s heart raced at the idea that Blaine wanted to spend time with him over hanging out with his own personal backing singers (and friends, of course), he was a little surprised.

 _*Everything okay?*_ he sent back.

 _*I’m sure. See you @ 3.*_

Kurt frowned at his phone for a minute before putting it away and turning to his math problems. Between trying to figure out the cryptic texts and being excited about his new afternoon plans, there was no chance of falling asleep now. At least he looked good enough that he didn’t have to rush home and change before their coffee date.

*

Kurt arrived early at the Lima Bean and took a secluded seat in the corner, his chair facing the room. He arranged their usual orders in front of him with extra care and told himself he wasn’t nervous. Why would he be? He was having coffee with his boyfriend, who wanted to see him even on one of the days they usually spent apart. Kurt tried to think of it - and their brief, perhaps unusually stilted texts - as a good thing.

Still, he was relieved to see Blaine come through the door and his eyes light up when they found Kurt across the room. If Blaine almost immediately looked away, it was surely to keep from hitting the woman with the stroller who had stopped suddenly in front of him.

By the time Blaine reached the table, Kurt could see something was wrong. It wasn’t anything glaring, since Blaine was far too used to putting on a smooth facade in front of people, but more than anything that perfect front was what caught Kurt’s attention. Blaine was smiling but not _at_ Kurt. He was walking gracefully but with the precision of a dancer performing on stage. He was the Blaine Kurt had first met: collected, confident, but ultimately reserved about his own feelings.

“Hi,” Blaine said as he took a seat. He picked up his coffee and raised it in a silent toast. “Thanks.”

“What’s wrong?” Kurt asked. He saw no reason not to be blunt, even if his sudden burst of anxiety had allowed him a less abrupt response.

“Why do you think something is wrong?”

Kurt gestured at him with one hand and a lifted eyebrow.

“I’m fine. Everything’s fine.”

Kurt crossed his arms, sat back in his chair, and said, “ _Blaine_.”

And with that Blaine’s facade crumpled. He slumped just a bit and put his coffee down, going from confident to worried in the span of the gesture.

“Tell me,” Kurt said more gently and reached out to touch Blaine’s fingers as they toyed with the sleeve on his cup of coffee.

Blaine took a deep breath, met Kurt’s eyes, and said, “Wes got a text from Santana last night.”

“Santana? I didn’t know they talked.”

“They don’t.”

“That’s weird. I wonder if she got his number off my phone when she stole it the other day and changed all my ring tones to ‘Stairway to Heaven’.” Kurt shuddered at the memory.

“Anyway. She texted him at like two in the morning and said - and I quote: ‘Tell your boy not to believe what he hears about Kurt’.”

Kurt’s stomach clenched, and his gaze drifted across the room. “Oh, god. She needs some serious therapy. And possibly, given the time of her text, some Ambien.”

“So obviously Wes did some digging, and he heard about you and Sam at the hotel. And the pictures.”

That snapped Kurt’s focus back to Blaine. He otherwise did not move a muscle. “And he told you.”

“He told me. And I know you, Kurt, and I _know_ you aren’t doing anything with Sam.”

“Who is, for the record, _straight_.”

“But even if he weren’t, I know you.”

Kurt met his eyes evenly and didn’t say anything. He hadn’t expected the stupid rumors to get to Blaine, and though he appreciated Blaine’s protestations of confidence in him, clearly Blaine’s heart wasn’t quite on board or else they could have just laughed about it on the phone later that night instead of having this conversation right now. It hurt, not as much as it could have if Blaine had accused him of anything, but still.

“I’m sorry. I’m being stupid.” Blaine laughed nervously and linked his fingers with Kurt’s on the table. He looked at them for a moment and said, “I’m _sorry_. I _know_ it isn’t true, but...”

“But you want me to tell you it isn’t, anyway?” Kurt asked, forcing himself to sit calmly until he knew just how upset he needed to be. If Blaine couldn’t trust him, if Kurt had to protest his innocence or - worse - had to avoid explaining what was going on with Sam, then what was this relationship really built on?

“No. No. I mean, you can, but I think I just needed to look you in the eyes, you know?”

“Well, now you have.”

“Yeah.” Blaine’s mouth twitched into a faint, self-deprecating smile. “And it makes me feel really, really stupid about being insecure.”

Kurt inhaled shakily through his nose and forced himself to relax. It was going to be okay. He squeezed Blaine’s hand and said, “You should. But I’m not going to complain about your insecurities giving us a reason to see each other.”

Blaine smiled at him - a real smile this time - and said, “I guess I just miss seeing you every day, Kurt. I know it would be easier for you to date someone at McKinley. That’s always in the back of my mind.”

“I don’t want easy; I want you.” Kurt played back the sentence in his head and laughed at himself. “Okay, that sounds wrong in _so_ many ways.”

“I know what you mean,” Blaine said softly, rubbing his thumb against Kurt’s in a way that made Kurt’s heart skip a beat. “I want you, too.”

“Then we’re settled. No more worrying about rumors.”

“Right.” Blaine looked down and then back up directly into Kurt’s eyes. “I’m sorry. I never doubted _you_. I want you to know that. I doubted _me_ , whether... whether I was enough or not, you know?”

Kurt swallowed against a lump of emotion in his throat and snapped, “Don’t be ridiculous.”

Blaine laughed, caught off guard by Kurt’s tone.

“Come on,” Kurt said, standing abruptly. He absolutely had to go somewhere with Blaine that was far away from other people. “Finn’s not due home for an hour, and our parents are at work. I clearly need to remind you just exactly how perfectly enough you are for me.”

“Kurt, I - That’s not why I came,” Blaine protested, although he got to his feet and followed him.

“I know,” Kurt told him over his shoulder. “But since we’ve already solved your little problem and have all this time on our hands...”

Grinning, Blaine shook his head. “I don’t even know why I’m arguing.”

“Neither do I.”

“I’m stopping now,” Blaine said as they emerged onto the sidewalk. “I trust you.”

Kurt’s stomach did a flip at the warmth and sincerity in Blaine’s expression, and he reached out to take his hand. “I should hope so.”


End file.
